American Connections
by harabb1979
Summary: A Post DH; Snape survives and moves to the US where he encounters some familiar faces. Molly/Ron Bashing. No Slash. HP/OC HG/SS
1. Chapter 1

As Harry, Ron and Hermione left the Headmaster's office, the trio headed toward the Great Hall. Hermione heard the rustle of robes in a nearby alcove and a soft voice whisper an incantation. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw a flash of bright blue light and jumped in front of the curse. Harry yelled Stupefy and Incarcerous while Ron rushed to see who it was. Harry then pointed his wand at Hermione and cast a Finite Incatateum, causing the blue light surrounding her to dissipate. As the light faded, the sight that met Harry's eyes was shocking to say the least. The curse that hit Hermione was one to rapidly age the victim, and the process was irreversible. Unlike an aging potion, there was no safe way to regain the time lost, and thanks to the delay in stopping its progress, Hermione now appeared to be in her mid to late twenties.

"Don't worry, Mia, we'll go see Madam Pomphrey later. First, let's see who did this." Harry and Hermione walked over to where Ron was standing with his wand pointed at Romilda Vane, who was lying in a heap on the floor, bound tightly in thick black ropes. "Kingsley's going to love this," Harry muttered as he and Hermione levitated the unconscious girl into the Great Hall. Ron gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek before walking away, presumably in order to find his family. Hermione quickly placed Romilda in a quiet corner of the room, away from the bodies. Harry wiped his hand with his face as he looked at all those who perished fighting against Voldemort. Hermione had just joined him when it struck Harry that there was someone missing."

"Snape," Harry whispered, causing Hermione to stare at him.

"Harry?"

"Professor Snape," he repeated. "Professor…sorry Headmaster Snape is still in the Shrieking Shack." Harry took a deep breath and turned toward the doors leading outside. "I'm going to get him, Hermione. He doesn't deserve being left to rot in that filthy place. He needs to be here with the rest of the heroes." Hermione nodded and followed Harry out of the castle and towards the Whomping Willow. Harry levitated a rock toward the knot on the tree's roots, stilling the branches and opening the passageway. The two made their way as quickly as they could through the tunnel, and when they lifted the old crate at the end of the passageway, they could see Snape's boots on the floor.

"He's still here, they haven't gotten to…"Whatever else Harry intended to say died on his lips as he and Hermione stared at their former Professor.

Severus Snape was alive; sitting upright, with Fawkes the phoenix perched on his knee. Blood was still caked on the side of his face and in his hair, but he was alive. Harry and Hermione stepped toward Snape, whose face had lost what little color that it had regained.

"Potter…what…Dumbledore said…"

"That I had to die. Yes, sir, I did. Voldemort cast the killing curse on me an hour after he tried to kill you."

"How is it that you are still alive then?"

"Blood, sir. My mother's blood. When he took my blood in order to resurrect himself, he tied me to life. The only thing that died four hours ago when he struck me with Avada Kedavra was the horcrux that he left in my scar." Snape mouthed the word horcrux and Harry nodded.

"He had seven of them, sir. The diary that possessed Ginny Weasley my second year."

"The Chamber of Secrets," Snape muttered and Harry nodded.

"Yes, sir," he replied. "There was also the cup of Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem…"

"That's why he ordered the Ravenclaw common room guarded, isn't it." Harry nodded again.

"Yes, sir. There was also Slytherin's locket, the snake Nagini, the Gaunt ring, and me."

"The Gaunt ring? Was that the ring…"

"Yes sir. That was the ring that killed Professor Dumbledore."

Severus Snape sat there on the dusty floor, looking at the two in shock as they stood there calmly waiting for his response. He knew that he'd given the boy his memories of Lily, Dumbledore, and the double life that he had led since he inadvertently set the Dark Lord on the trail of the Potters eighteen years ago. There was nothing to account for the boy's drastic change in attitude toward him except…"

"Dumbledore was right again." Harry looked at Severus as the man's mouth tilted up at the corners. "That barmy old coot was right again. You really are your mother's son." Harry smiled at the compliment, and Severus realized that he had indeed been blind. Over the years, he had refused to look past the messy black hair and glasses to see that Harry did in fact, resemble his mother more, both inside and out.

"I just wish that she had forgiven you, sir."

"She did. Shortly after I became a spy…I'll allow you to see the memory later." Harry nodded, and he and Hermione helped Severus to his feet. The odd trio left the Shack and began the long walk to Hogwarts. When they finally entered the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione were shocked to hear Mrs. Weasley, Ron and Ginny having a heated argument in an alcove.

"I won't do it!" Ginny was saying angrily. "I am not going to help the two of you give either of them any potions. If Harry and I are truly meant to be together, then it will happen on its own. I can't believe that you two put Amortentia in Harry, Hermione, and my food. I really liked Dean, and I can't tell if what I feel for Harry is real or the effects of the potion. Of course, this explains why Hermione went nutters last year. There's no way a smart girl like her would ever fall for an idiot like you, Ron, without a love potion. Now you want to completely mess her over. De-aging potions when she was hit with the ancientus rapidia? She'd be nothing more than a brain-dead squib, losing everything that makes her Hermione. I refuse to be a part of this."

"Ginny, dear," Molly cajoled her daughter, "aren't you tired of being so poor? With you marrying Harry, none of us would ever have to worry about money ever again."

"How would me marrying Harry help the rest of you with money?"

"An old pureblood law, my dear. Since Harry is a half-blood and Hermione is a muggleborn, if they were to marry someone of a higher blood status, they would essentially become the property of their spouse and their spouse's family." Both Harry and Hermione looked at Severus, who nodded in confirmation of Mrs. Weasley's statement. Ginny, they saw, was shaking her head.

"I'd…do Dad and the others know anything about this plan of yours?"

"Of course not, Ginerva, not with your father's pride and ideals about honor."

"That's good. At least I have one parent and five…four siblings that I can respect. I'd rather be honorably poor than dishonorably rich." Ginny spun on her heel to leave as Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"She'll come around soon enough, but now we have to get the two of them to consume the potions." Harry had heard enough by this point. He, Hermione and Severus stepped forward, blocking Ginny's path and glowering at .

"Good luck with that, madam, as neither of us…"Harry began.

"Will ever touch anything you ever give us again." Hermione finished. "Hell will freeze over first, you money-hungry bitch." Even Severus added his own two cents.

"It's a good thing that the Dark Lord didn't try to recruit you, madam. You're more dangerous than Bellatrix ever was." Both Molly and Ron sputtered incoherently while Ginny chuckled and petrified her mother and brother.

"Headmaster Snape," Ginny smiled as she turned to the older wizard. "I am pleased to see that the rumours of your death were greatly exaggerated." At Snape's incredulous look, one he'd worn frequently over the past hour, Ginny's chuckles turned to outright laughter.

"We knew, sir, all of us. The DA that is. Other than Luna, who as usual, ended up completely on the mark, we all knew after Halloween that you were on our side."

"What was Miss Lovegood right about?" Severus asked quietly.

"The fact that Dumbledore was dying, slowly, last year and that he forced you to put him out of his misery. She said it when term started, and by the end of October, the rest of us believed that everything wasn't as it seemed on that tower last year. What sealed the deal for us was when you gave us detention with Hagrid for breaking into your office and trying to steal Gryffindor's sword."

"You and your comrades, Miss Weasley, gave me more headaches that anyone else. I had to spend all year dancing around the two idiots that I was forced to hire in order to keep the lot of you from being executed via Cruciatus."

"Sorry about that, sir, but look at it this way. The more the rest of the staff, including the moron twins, was dealing with us, the less they were watching you.

Severus couldn't argue with the girls' logic as the four of them left Molly and Ron in the alcove. The body bind would wear off, eventually, Ginny thought as the group made their way to the Headmaster's office.

Once they reached the room, Severus withdrew a silver strand from his temple and dropped it in the pensieve. All four watched as Dumbledore revealed that he had a spy in the ranks of the Dark Lord, and both Lily Potter and Alice Longbottom wanted to know the identity of the spy so that they could thank him for alerting them to the threat to their children.

"Before I reveal the identity of the spy, it is imperative that the terms you-know-who or the Dark Lord be used in the presence of this young man. His Dark Mark acts like a beacon, and will torture him if the Dark Lord's name is used." The room agreed, and Dumbledore turned to the alcove where a much younger Severus Snape was standing, nervously clutching his robes. "I want an oath that no one here will reveal our spy's identity." The Order took the oath, and Dumbledore turned back to face the alcove. "Severus, please come and meet your fellow members of the Order." As the young spy stepped forward, gasps were heard from the assembled group.

"Severus?!" Lily exclaimed.

"Snivellus?!" Sirius interjected.

"Snape?!" James added in disbelief. Young Severus snorted and shook his head.

"Well, two out of three isn't bad," Severus said, his trademark sarcasm coloring the words. Dumbledore chuckled as he lay his hand on Severus's right shoulder and Fawkes perched himself on his left.

"As all of you can tell, Fawkes approves of Severus. We are all members of the Order here, and we all have the same goals. Severus, you have news for us?"

"There is another spy…this one is working for the Dark Lord and spying on the order. I realized this when he began to list his newest targets, many of whom would make no sense, unless he knew the membership roster of the Order. Other than the Potters, Longbottoms, Auror Moody, and the Headmaster, he is also targeting the Prewett twins, Auror Bones and his family, the McKinnon clan, Healer Abbott, Black, Ted and Andromeda Tonks, Healer McDonald, and Helen Parkin."

"Helen…but she's just a Quidditch Player…" Lily exclaimed.

"…and she's a member of the Order." James interjected. "Snape, do you have any idea about who this spy could possibly be?"

"All I know is that it's a male, and close to our ages. Only a few in the Dark Lord's inner circle know his identity, and I fear that I am not highly placed enough to be privy to that information. Lucius Malfoy, is, however, and had said that he is highly amused that the Dark Lord's spy was a Gryffindor." Sirius Black sputtered in disbelief, but James Potter simply looked thoughtful. Sirius turned to his friend, who was looking at Snape as though he'd never seen him before.

"What are you thinking, Prongs? You can't possibly believe what Snivellus is saying. There's no way a Gryffindor could have gone dark!" It was Lily who turned to the dog Animagus with a glare.

"Just like there's no way a Slytherin could be working for the light, eh Sirius?" Lily turned back towards her former best friend.

"Do you think that Malfoy was telling the truth, Severus?" He nodded, and took a deep breath.

"Yes, I do. I am well aware that Lucius is not the poster child for honesty, but I'm positive that he was being truthful in this instance." Before any more questions could be asked , Severus' entire body tensed and a pained expression crossed his features.

"Headmaster…" Snape ground out through clenched teeth, clutching his left forearm with his right hand. "I must go." Dumbledore nodded and Severus turned to leave.

"Severus," Lily called out, causing the young Potions Master to turn and look at her calmly. "I'm so sorry, Sev. I hope that you can forgive me, and thank you…for everything." A small smile touched Severus the younger's mouth and he nodded at Lily before turning and leaving the room.

Severus, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all pulled out of the pensieve, and the older wizard was surprised to see tears on the face of the younger.

"When I saw what ended your friendship, I felt that Mum should have forgiven you. I'm so glad that you were able to clear the air before she was murdered."

"Right before he attacked you and your family, the Dark Lord called us to say that his spy in the Order was the Potter's secret keeper. As soon as he left, I tried to notify both Dumbledore and your parents about the betrayal, but Pettigrew had only told the Dark Lord your whereabouts, so…"

"…you couldn't find the house until it was too late." Harry finished. "It's not your fault, sir. You did more than anyone could possibly expect, and you saved more lives than anyone else. None of this was your fault."

"Harry's right, Professor," Hermione commented. "Everyone else seems to have forgiven you, sir, save one person." Severus raised an eyebrow, causing her to smile. "All of us have forgiven you, sir. You just have to forgive yourself." Severus looked at her, then at Harry, who was nodding in agreement.

"When I lost consciousness after Nagini bit me, I woke up in a place that looked like the playground your mother and I first met at. She and Albus were there, and she told be the very same thing. Perhaps, once everything settles down, I'll join my brother, sister-in-law, and my daughter in the States."

"A fresh start," Harry said , the wheels visibly turning in his head. "I hope that everything works out for you, sir. I think that we all know that no matter how much we wish it, nothing is really going to change in the government…"

"Harry and I will both probably be seeking our own fresh start very soon. If you ever need anything, just let us know. We'll be an owl away.

"Thank you, Miss Granger, and I wish the same for you and Mr. Potter." With that, they all left the office and returned to the Great Hall.

After the funerals, Harry spoke to Andromeda Tonks about his godson. Andi was afraid of losing her only connection to her husband and daughter so soon after losing them. The witch nearly cried in relief when Harry said that he had no intention of taking Teddy away from her. All he wanted was to be kept informed of Teddy's health and happiness, and when the baby was older, perhaps visits with his uncle Harry once the latter was settled down somewhere. Andi quickly agreed, and a week later, Harry and Hermione left for Australia to find her parents. Other than the occasional letter to Andromeda, Severus, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minerva McGonagall, and Ginny Weasley, neither was ever seen in Britain again.


	2. Chapter 2

Eight years had passed since that night in what was now Minerva McGonagall's office, and Severus Snape was busy packing his trunks. He had been corresponding regularly with his brother, Brandon, in the States. Brandon lived in San Antonio, Texas. Severus shrunk his belongings and placed them in his pockets while packing his muggle clothing in a non-descript black suitcase. His flight to the States left that afternoon, and as he looked around his now-empty quarters, Severus felt a weight leaving his shoulders and a sense of euphoria fill him. Brandon had made all of the arrangements for him to be able to leave the bad memories in England and start a new life. After an emotional goodbye with Minerva, Filius, Pomona, and the rest of his colleagues at Hogwarts, Severus strolled out of Hogwarts and apparated to Heathrow.

Once he got to the airport, Severus found his gate and settled down to read a book on the latest advances in organic chemistry. Brandon had told him that chemistry was the muggle equivalent to Potions, and once again, his brother was right.

Upon arriving in New York, Severus walked to the other side of the airport to catch his connecting flight to Dallas. When he arrived there, he was pleased to find out that he did not have to switch planes again. Severus was tired, and felt no inclination to go traipsing through another airport.

Severus dozed off shortly after the arrival in Dallas, and slept until the flight attendant told him that they were about to land in San Antonio. He was one of the first to leave the aircraft, and rushed toward the gate where he saw Brandon and his wife Anne, both of whom were smiling at him.

"Damn, Russ, it is so good to see you again, big brother." Brandon Prince said, smiling at his brother.

"Where's Eileen?" Was the first question he asked after hugging his brother and sister-in-law, looking around for his daughter. Brandon smiled and shook his head.

"It's Wednesday morning, Russ. Lena has classes until two-thirty this afternoon." Brandon and Anne walked with him towards the baggage claim to retrieve his suitcase, then toward their car in the parking lot.

"Anne, didn't Lena say that she wanted Russ to meet Jimmy tonight?"

"I think so. I know that he wants to propose, but Jimmy wants to talk to Russ first." Brandon saw his brother's dumbstruck expression and laughed.

"Jimmy Evanson has been dating Eileen for almost six years now. He's twenty-six and is a detective with the SAPD. They met when he was taking his basic Law Enforcement coursework and Lena was doing her general education requirements for her bachelor's at San Antonio College. She's working on her Masters in Anthropology, specializing in forensics. Jimmy completed his Bachelors in Criminal Justice about three years ago. He and his sister, Mia, share a house across the street from us. Actually Russ, I think that the two of them were caught up in the same mess that you were in back in '97."

"What makes you say that?"

"As a psychiatrist, I see a good number of war veterans. They've both been here since that mess in Iraq started, so that can't be it, but the signs are there if you know what to look for. Both of them smoke heavily, but thankfully, they abstain from alcohol. If you look into their eyes, Russ, you know that the two of them have been through hell. Both have received their American citizenship, did so shortly after arriving here, but both still have distinctly British accents." Russ took in the information, considering it carefully.

"You said that Jimmy was twenty-six. How old is his sister?"

"Mia? She's what, early to mid-thirties?" Anne confirmed it and Russ contemplated the information. Brandon looked at his brother and smiled. "Do you know them, Russ?"

"I think so. Two former students of mine disappeared about eight years ago, and although they were not related by blood, they were as close as any siblings could be. He was a few weeks shy of his eighteenth birthday, while she was, thanks to an irreversible curse, aged from eighteen to about twenty-seven. His middle name was James and his mother's maiden name was Evans."

"I think that we'd better let both Jimmy and Mia know that they may already know Russ from England before they come face-to-face." Anne said to both men, who saw the wisdom of her words.

The rest of the morning was giving Severus, who decided to keep the nickname his brother gave him, a make-over, San Antonio-style. Several pairs of jeans, tee-shirts, button-downs, polo shirts, a few sport coats, cowboy boots and a San Antonio Spurs baseball cap were added to his wardrobe. His black hair, now laced with a few silver strands at the temples, was cut in a neat layered style that made him look years younger. By that afternoon, Russ truly felt like a brand new person as he sat on his brother's front porch, awaiting the return of his daughter.

A small black convertible pulled next to a pickup truck in the driveway of the house across the street. A slender, dark-haired woman climbed out, pulling a blue bag with her. She waved at Brandon and Anne as she walked to her front door and let herself inside.

"That was Mia. She's a crime scene investigator for the department," Brandon said as he placed his drink on the table. The rumbling of a motorcycle approaching caused all three of them to glance toward the street corner, and Brandon stood up. "I'd better go and warn them." As soon as he reached the mailbox, a black and silver motorcycle glided into the driveway next to Mia Evanson's car. As soon as the bike was parked and turned off, Mia walked outside to her brother, and Brandon crossed the street.

"Lena," Brandon said, smiling at his niece. "Your dad got here this morning." The twenty-four year old squealed happily and began tugging at both Jimmy and Mia's hands. "Lena, wait. Jimmy, Mia, I know that we told you that my brother taught chemistry at a secondary school in Scotland. What we neglected to mention was that the school he taught at was very…selective…as to the students that it accepted. When we told him about the two of you, he said that there was a good chance that you may have been his students at one time." Jimmy and Mia looked at each other as the words someone spoke to them years ago replayed through their minds.

"…once everything settles, I may join my brother, sister-in-law, and daughter in the States…" Jimmy cleared his throat and gave a wry smile.

"You may be right Brandon, and we may already be acquainted with your brother. If that is the case, then I think that tonight, many things will be revealed." With these cryptic words, Jimmy gestured for Brandon to lead the way as he, Lena, and Mia followed.

Once they were in Brandon's house, he latched the door and ushered his three companions into the living room, where Anne was waiting with Russ. Jimmy, Mia, and Russ all looked at each other and started laughing. Russ was the first to regain his composure.

"In eight years, I received at least a hundred letters from the two of you, but not once did you give any clue that the nice couple across the street was my brother and sister-in-law, or that your beautiful girlfriend was MY DAUGHTER!!" Lena looked between her father and boyfriend in shock.

"You two know each other? But Dad taught at…that means that you both went to…" Jimmy gave his girlfriend a sheepish grin as Mia laughed.

"Poor Jimmy has been trying to find a way to tell Lena that he was a wizard without risking the Statute of Secrecy…"

"While Lena didn't want to marry Jimmy unless he knew in advance that she was a witch…" Anne added.

"So the biggest issue in their relationship was completely irrelevant." Brandon finished, still laughing. Lena looked at Jimmy and smiled.

"Now that we know the truth, is there anything else that you or Mia wants to tell me?" Mia cleared her throat.

"A year before we left England, the war was really starting to heat up. I feared for my parents' safety because of how involved I was. I charmed them to forget that they had a daughter, changed their identities, and shipped them to Australia. Once the war ended, Jimmy and I tracked them down and removed the charms. They…I was disowned. Jimmy adopted me into his family, as we had been friends for eight years."

"But you're a bit older than he is," Lena asked quietly.

"I was hit with the ancientus rapidia during the aftermath of the battle. Jimmy stopped it, but by then I had already aged almost ten years. Before I was disowned and adopted by Jimmy, my name was Hermione Jane Granger." The group turned to Jimmy, who sighed.

"Right after the battle, Mia and I found out that we, along with another friend, had been dosed with Amortentia for almost two years. Our friend learned of the plot, and another to destroy Mia. She refused to participate, and went to leave. What none of the three were aware of was that Mia, myself and your dad, Lena, had heard the entire argument. It was at that point that Mia and I decided to leave England and start anew. When I adopted Mia, using the Familias rite, she took my last name and accepted me as the head of the family. When we changed our names, hers changed along with mine. Jimmy is short for James, which was my father's name and my middle name. My mother's maiden name was Evans, so I am the son of Evans or…"

"Evanson," Lena said quietly. "What is your real name?"

"My real name is Harry James Potter."

You could hear a pin drop as Brandon, Anne and Lena all stared at Jimmy.

"Harry Potter, as in the kid who took out England's Dork Lord and drove my dad bonkers, Harry Potter?"

"Leave me out of this one," Russ said, smirking at the youngest man in the room.

"I'm afraid so, Lena. The only time that I go by Potter is in correspondence to and from England. A handful of my superiors and colleagues in the department know that I am a wizard, since they are as well. Since the attacks on September 11th, I suspect that most of them know my true identity."

"They do," Mia said quietly. "I was confronted about it about a year or so ago, so I told them about the Weasleys and why we decided to change our identities. When we took that vacation last February to go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, they told the rest of the precinct that we had been involved with infiltrating a major crime syndicate, and until the lot were in jail, our real names could not be revealed. As soon as I give the word, the Captain will approach us in front of everyone to tell us that the ring has been broken, and we can resume our real names."

Harry took a deep breath and stood up. "I need to take a minute to think about all of this." He reached into his jacket for a pack of Marlboro Lights and a green Bic lighter. As he picked up his drink, Harry gave Lena a quick smile before turning to walk out the front door.

"Poor Jimmy…err…Harry," Brandon sighed. "He's spent the past eight years trying to build a life and leave the past behind only to find out that it was all an illusion." Russ stood up and grabbed his own drink before walking out behind Harry, who was standing in the shadows on the front porch with his lit cigarette the only indication of his presence.

"You know that those things could kill you." Russ heard his former student snort before taking a deep drag.

"So I've been told, but so could a lot of things."

"My daughter loves you, and I know from your letters how much you love her. She could care less whether you go by Jimmy Evanson or Harry Potter."

"I know, sir. I love her with everything that I am. I just liked being Jimmy Evanson, a simple Muggle cop who lives with his sister, rides a Harley, and wants to marry Lena Prince."

"I can't tell what to do, but there is nothing keeping you from being Harry Potter, a cop that happens to be a wizard, rides a Harley, lives with his sister, and wants to marry Lena Snape." At the incredulous expression on Harry's face, Russ smiled. "Brandon, Anne and Lena all used the surname Prince in order to disassociate themselves from me during the war. Prince is a much more common name than Snape. Lena, however, has said many times that she wanted to use her real name." Harry nodded his head and extinguished his cigarette before he and Russ walked back inside.

As soon as they sat back down, Harry looked at Hermione, who had preferred the nickname Mia to her full name for a long time and nodded his head. Mia smiled and hugged him.

"I'll call Captain Matthews tomorrow and tell him that it's okay, so expect the announcement after lunch." Lena grinned at them both.

"I'll just tell everyone that my dad recently retired from the CIA, so I can use my real last name instead of my grandmother's maiden name." Everyone cracked up laughing at Lena's comment except for Russ, who was confused. Mia saw his expression and leaned over to pat his arm.

"It's the irony, sir. The CIA is the US's spy agency, sort of like MI-6. Lena plans to tell everyone that you recently retired from being a spy."

Russ' lips twitched before he joined the others in raucous laughter. Harry was the first to regain his composure and looked seriously at Russ, concern in his green eyes.

"Speaking of England, what has been going on with the Weasleys, specifically Molly and Ron?" Russ looked at both him and Mia, shaking his head sadly.

"Those two dunderheads are still attempting to track the both of you down. As I mentioned in our correspondence, little changed after the war and the Purebloods are still controlling everything. Many of them are angry that the Potter and Black estates are still under the control of a, pardon my language, half-blood bastard and his mudblood bitch of an adopted sister. According to my sources, they know that you two are in the States, but are not certain where. If they find you two, they will use any means necessary to force your return to England and marriage to a Pureblood girl that they can control."

"What if he's already married?" Lena asked quietly.

"Then there is nothing that they could do, Eileen." Lena grinned and looked at Harry.

"That simplifies matters, then. Harry and I can get married at the courthouse…"

"It would have to be a bonding…" Mia interjected quietly.

"…or the backyard. One of my friends is licensed to perform magical bondings, and can be sworn to secrecy. We can send a photo to one of your friends in England, and they can spread the news that you're married."

"What about Mia? If they find us, they'll take her to hurt me." Harry questioned, concern etched across his face.

"Leave me out of it," Mia said as she grabbed Harry's cigarettes and stormed out the front door. Russ sighed, and as he'd done earlier, followed his former student outside. She was standing in the grass, puffing angrily.

"You know that he loves you and wants to protect you." Mia sighed and turned to look at Russ.

"Harry has sacrificed too much for too many people over the years. It's not fair that he sacrifice something else that he wants so desperately for me or anyone else."

"Is there no one that you are interested in?"

"Most men that I meet think I'm too much of a know-it-all to tolerate. Once they find that I neither need nor want some man to protect me or take care of me, they leave. I'm very opinionated and enjoy a good debate. Add to that the secrecy that has been my life…I can't picture hiding any part of who I am from any man that I'm serious about. The whole fiasco with the Weasleys scared the shit out of me and I've been afraid to let anyone get that close to me again."

"Was there ever anyone else that you felt that you could have felt comfortable enough with to let in?"

"Yes, he's about ten years older than me, utterly brilliant, and from what I've heard; he would want a partner with a functional brain.

"Why, then, did you never attempt a relationship with this man. You're a beautiful woman." At that, Mia smiled and faced him fully.

"Because insufferable know-it-alls are not supposed to chase after the Hogwarts resident dungeon bat."

"Dun…me? You found me desirable? Miss Gra…Pot...Mia, are…did you get his bad eyesight when the two of you performed the Familias?" She shook her head and stepped toward him.

"No, I see the same thing that I always have. An incredibly clever, brave man, who deserves any happiness that he can find. I find you sexy as hell just the way you are." Looking at the honesty on her face, Russ did the only thing that he could do. Pulling Mia close, Russ leaned down to kiss her.

Both Russ and Mia were so lost in their kiss that they were unaware of the door opening until they heard two voices that had the effect of ice-cold water.

"All right, go Mia!!"

"Holy shit, go Dad!!"

Turning toward the doorway, both Russ and Mia turned crimson when they saw Harry, Lena, Brandon and Anne standing there grinning at them. Sheepishly, Russ and Mia followed the others back inside. The silence was heavy, until Anne finally broke it.

"It's starting to get late, and some of us have early days tomorrow. I'm going to get a bed made up for Russ on the sofa. Our third bedroom is Brandon's home office," she added, looking apologetically at Russ.

"That's fine, Anne," he said with a smile. "Trust me, I've slept in much less comfortable places. Harry exchanged a quick glance with Mia, before turning towards Russ.

"We have an available guest bedroom. When I bought the house, I insisted that we keep the spare room as a guest bedroom in case something ever happened and one of our friends needed a place to stay. You're welcome to it, Prof…sir."

"Russ, and thank you, Harry." The two shook hands and Russ picked up his suitcase, hugged Lena, and followed Harry and Mia across the street.

Harry showed Russ the guest room while Mia set the alarm system. They bade each other a good night, and both Russ and Mia blushed when Harry slipped into his own bedroom with a grin. Another good night followed, this one decidedly more awkward, before rushing into their respective bedrooms. It was a while before either of them fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Russ was awakened by the smells of breakfast cooking. Looking at the clock, he realized that it was only 7:00am, but there was no way that he would be able to fall back asleep. Yawning, he pulled on pajama bottoms and a tee-shirt before padding toward the kitchen.

Harry waved at him with a spatula, clad in a pair of gray slacks, boots, and a white undershirt.

"Morning, Russ, how do you like your eggs?" That was an odd question for Russ, who had never seen eggs cooked that way.

"Surprise me," was the response, causing Harry nod as he deftly cracked an egg into the skillet."

"Morning," Mia walked into the kitchen and pulled several mugs from the cabinet. "Coffee, Russ?"

"Please, two sugars." Mia filled two cups, adding sugar to both and milk to one. She joined Russ at the table and slowly sipped her coffee. Sniffing the air, she smiled at Harry, who was flipping several eggs onto three plates.

"Blueberry muffins?"

"Yep." Harry grabbed a potholder and pulled the muffin tin from the oven with a flourish. He placed two muffins on each plate before carrying all three to the table. Russ looked down and watched Harry and Mia as they deposited butter on a thick, white substance that he didn't recognize.

"These are grits, made from the small white hominy in corn. Very high in iron and excellent with butter and bacon," Mia explained as she crumbled her bacon on top of her grits and stirred them with her spoon. Russ copied her movements and tucked into his food.

"This is very good," Russ commented after trying a few bites of everything. "At least I don't have to worry about Eileen starving to death, since according to Anne, she can't even burn water right." Both Harry and Mia laughed, as Lena's lack of culinary ability was something that they were both familiar with.

"I just wish I had known about Harry's cooking talents when we were on the run that year." Harry snorted and sipped his coffee.

"Well, I did offer, but…" Mia clapped her hand over his mouth. Harry pulled her hands away and stood up to take his plate to the sink. He then grabbed a white button down that was on the back of the sofa and started to put it on when the doorbell rang. Opening it, he saw Lena on the other side, her bag conspicuously absent.

"Dr. Stevens e-mailed us. No class this morning. I was hoping we could start on the wedding plans." Harry shook his head.

"I'm putting in for a few days off next week, but until then, I have to go. You should spend some with your dad, sweetie. He hasn't seen you in years." Harry strapped on his shoulder holster and grabbed his jacket. "Mia's off today, so you three have fun." As he shrugged on his coat, Harry turned back to them. "I'll see you guys later. Mia, I was planning to swing by Blockbuster and pick up the newest X-Men movie. You want anything?"

"Yeah, I've wanted to see Love, Actually, since I missed it when it was at the theatre. Also, could you see if Something the Lord Made is out yet on DVD while you're at it?" Harry considered it for a moment before his face broke out into a wide grin.

"Mia, why didn't you just say 'Harry, get me something with Alan Rickman in it that I haven't already seen a thousand times.'" Mia blushed furiously and threw a muffin at Harry, who deftly caught it and strolled out to his truck. As they heard him drive off, Russ turned to his daughter curiously.

"Eileen, who or what is Alan Rickman?"

"He's this actor from England that Mia thinks is hot. He's no Johnny Depp, but he's alright. Love his voice, though. I always thought Mia was weird, but then again, she was kissing you." Mia, trying to retain her last shred of dignity, turned on her heel to clean the kitchen after breakfast.

The rest of the day passed quietly, with Harry calling after lunch to tell Mia that the announcement had been made. He'd gotten a few odd looks from some of the magical officers, but no one had made too much of a fuss.

Lena had brought over several bridal magazines with a notebook and pen to start planning the wedding. In order to hide the wording of the bonding in plain sight of the non-magical guests, Mia suggested using Wiccan rites. Lena agreed, and then they both explained what Wicca was to Russ, who thought that it was a marvelous idea.

The date was set for July the fifteenth, three weeks away, and when Harry got home, he was greeted by the sight of two grinning witches and one smirking wizard.

"Uh oh," Harry said as he hung his coat and holster in the closet. "What have you three been up to?" Mia grinned at him before sitting on the couch.

"Nothing much, just your wedding next month."

"Excuse me?"

"We all know you would have some stupid, noble reason to postpone the wedding, and risk getting yourself kidnapped and forced to marry some inbred bimbo in England. You got outvoted and all of the arrangements have been made." Lena gave him a kiss on the cheek as Russ stood up and helped Mia to her feet.

"Mia and I are both in the mood for seafood, so we'll go to…Papadeux's, right? Have a good evening and behave." Harry was still sitting there, completely shell-shocked as Russ and Mia pulled out of the driveway in her car. Lena grinned mischievously as she straddled Harry's lap and started to unbutton his shirt. Leaning down, Lena began to trail kisses from his mouth to his ear. As Harry felt her hands on his chest and her teeth nibbling on his earlobe, he stood up, cupping her buttocks with his hands, and carrying her to his bedroom.

While Harry and Lena were engaged in his bedroom, Mia and Russ were following a hostess to their table. They sat down and ordered drinks, and the waitress left them perusing the menus. Suddenly Russ cleared his throat.

"I wonder what your brother and my daughter are doing right now." Mia chuckled and shook her head.

"Trust me, Russ, you really do not want to know." Turning her attention back to the menu, Mia recommended several entrees to Russ, who nodded and took her advice.

After the check was paid, Russ escorted Mia back to the car; however, neither was in the mood to return home just yet.

"There's usually something going on in Market Square or on the River Walk. I can even show you the Alamo." Russ heard the reverence in her tone at the word Alamo and asked Mia why it was so important. She smiled and claimed that he would understand it better once he saw it, so the two headed toward the downtown area, soon reaching an old building near the middle of the city.

"This is the Alamo," Mia said, indicating the building. "In 1836, Texas was part of Mexico, and wanted more representation in their government. A few years earlier, a military coup had taken place, and the military dictator wanted the Texans to surrender. General Santa Anna, the dictator, was not willing to negotiate and the Texans wanted the return of the old Mexican government. Santa Anna brought an army of nearly 5,000 here to lay siege to the Alamo, and hopefully break the rebellion. It wasn't until the 187 men in the Alamo ran out of bullets that the Mexican army was able to get inside. The only survivors were a small handful of women, children and domestic servants."

"How many on the other side were killed?"

"Those 187 men died, but they took over 1500 of the enemy with them over a six-day period." Russ snorted and shook his head.

"Someone warned me that of all of the states, had they gone to Hogwarts and used the Hat, Texas would be the state of dunderheaded Gryffindors." Mia laughed as they walked back to the car and began to drive home. When they got there, they walked in to see Harry and Lena sitting in the living room, staring at a letter with expressions best described as horrified. Mia picked up the parchment and began to read it aloud.

"Dear Harry and Hermione,

I don't know if their sources are correct, but Mum and Ron mentioned that they'd been able to trace you to Texas, in the States. They, along with several of their cohorts, are planning to go there in a month or so, around the end of March. The Amortentia and de-aging potions have been brewed, and as soon as possible, they will be administered to you both. I hope that this is another wild goose chase, but since I know that you are in the States, I figured you could use some warning.

Love, Ginny"

Mia set the letter back on the table and smiled at both Harry and Lena. "Well, at least they won't be coming until after the wedding." Harry looked at her in shock.

"They are still planning to de-age you Mia and force you to marry Ron!" His sister just shrugged.

"There's nothing that can be done, Harry." Mia stood in order to walk away when Russ quickly stepped in front of her.

"Yes there is. You can marry me." Mia's jaw dropped as she looked at the serious expression on the man's face.

"I can't…won't ask that of you, Russ. You've only…" Russ cut her off in the most effective manner that he could think of, kissing her. When she tried to object to marriage on the grounds that they hadn't really dated, Russ promptly kissed her again. It took a third kiss, one that grew very heated, that finally silenced Mia's objections.

"Now that everything is settled, we may want to move the wedding forward. We can go apply for the licenses tomorrow, and get married the following weekend." Lena stated, writing down several things in her notebook. "The licenses will ensure that the marriages are accepted in both worlds."

The next few days passed in a flurry of activity. The blood tests took no time at all, and were followed by a stop at David's Bridal. The wedding took place the following Saturday, and Harry had sent a portkey so that both Andromeda and Teddy could attend. Harry, Russ and Mia knew that this would ensure an invasion of Weasleys and pureblood bigots soon, but as the wedding started, none of them could bring themselves to care.

The double ceremony went off without a hitch, and after a reception and dinner at the Vineyards, Russ handed Mia a key and piece of paper that declared that Severus and Hermione Snape were now the owners of 1318 Castlewood Drive.

Three days after the wedding, both sets of newlyweds received letters from Andi Tonks that stated that factions in the Ministry had been alerted to their location, and that they could expect visitors by the end of the week.

Brandon and Anne were the first to know when their doorbell rang. Brandon opened it to see several people that he recognized from the photographs Harry had shown him. Brandon hid his smirk when a tall red-haired man asked him if he knew where Harry and Hermione Potter were.

"Harry and Mia? I think they are having dinner with my brother and niece at Russ's house."

"And that would be?" This question came from a woman Brandon recognized as Molly Weasley.

"Number 1318, ma'am." They nodded as Brandon closed the door and took the telephone receiver that Anne was holding.

"Two Weasels, a couple of blonds, some brunettes and a fat broad that looks like a toad are enroute to you."

"10-4," was all Harry could say before the doorbell rang and he hung up. "Okay, it's showtime." Lena and Mia followed about a foot behind Harry as he walked toward the door, while Russ stood around the corner inside the kitchen.

As soon as the door opened, Harry shook his head at the sight of Molly, Ron, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Daphne Greengrass, Dolores Umbridge, John Dawlish and Gawain Robards. Ron looked past Harry, grinning in satisfaction when he saw Mia.

"Hem hem," Umbridge began, "Mr. Potter, you have shirked your duties to the Wizarding world long enough. You are hereby ordered to return to England, marry Miss Ginerva Weasley, Miss Millicent Bulstrode, or Miss Daphne Greengrass. Your so-called sister, Hermione Granger-Potter, will be wed to Mr. Ronald Weasley." Harry smirked and shook his head.

"I thought that bigamy was illegal, even in the wizarding world."

"It is," piped the clear voice of Daphne Greengrass. "However, muggle marriages do not count." Harry's smirk widened as he beckoned Lena to his side.

"Then I guess that it is a good thing that my wife and I were bonded. May I present Mrs. Eileen Potter." Harry and Lena raised their left hands to reveal their goblin-made bonding rings. As most of the visitors were taking that information in, Ron Weasley tried to push forward.

"Whatever, but Hermione belongs to me!" Harry shook his head and looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, Russ, some idiot thinks he's taking your wife!" Ron stopped cold and Harry stepped back to allow the unwelcome guests a clear view of the man who had just stepped out of the kitchen.

"Prof…Professor Snape?" Daphne asked, completely dumbfounded, and the Malfoys' jaws had hit the floor.

"I'm not a professor anymore, Daphne." Russ moved to stand next to his wife, but this wasn't what had shocked his visitors. Instead, it was the sight of the former Hogwarts Potions Master standing there in blue jeans, a short-sleeved tee-shirt, black baseball cap over his short hair, and an apron with the words 'Kiss the Cook' emblazoned on it. "What are all of you doing here at our house?"

"Our house?" Umbridge asked, her voice a high pitch.

"Yes, madam. Had the lot of you bothered to check the property records, you would have seen that the deed to 1318 Castlewood Drive is in the names of Severus and Hermione Snape."

"1315 belongs to Harold and Eileen Potter." Lena chimed in, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her husbands' cheek as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I need to get the potatoes out of the oven," Russ said, turning back towards the kitchen. Mia's hand snaked out and pinched her husbands' rear end. "You're gonna pay for that, woman," he called back over his shoulder.

"Looking forward to it, darling." The visitors were still in shock when Russ re-emerged from the kitchen, carrying a large casserole dish to the dining table. Suddenly, a car pulled up, and a new voice emerged from the darkness.

"Is there a problem…oh hey, Harry. I almost forgot that this was Russ and Mia's new crib."

"Hey Elliott. Remember what I said about why Mia and I really left England?"

"Yeah, some money-hungry bitch and her dickhead of a son had been fucking you and Mia over for years."

"Well, meet the bitch, the dickhead and their friends."

"Now wait a minute, Mr. Potter." Lucius Malfoys's voice rang out. "Please do not associate us with them."

"Then why are you here?"

"I knew that Severus had been corresponding with both of you over the years and that he had family in Texas. When I overheard him," Lucius pointed at Ron, "telling someone that you'd been found in San Antonio…I just drew the logical conclusion and tagged along. Cissa and I wanted to see our friend."

"So why were you so shocked to see Dad?" Lucius smiled at Lena.

"It wasn't the fact that we saw him, Miss Snape…sorry, Mrs. Potter. It was seeing him dressed the way he is. The apron, especially." As Lucius finished speaking, Russ had stepped back in the foyer, still wearing the apron and brandishing a plastic spatula. This sight was just too much for both Malfoys, who started laughing so hard that they were holding each other upright.

"Luc, Cissa, if my family has no objection, you are welcome to join us for dinner." Mia smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Russ always cooks enough to feed half of Hogwarts." Harry merely shrugged and Lena nodded.

"Good." Russ said calmly. "Luc, Cissa, come on in. The rest of you need to get the hell off of my property."

"Not without Hermione," Ron Weasley said stubbornly. He refused to believe that HIS Hermione was dating, much less bonded, to someone else, much less that greasy git Snape.

"Get it through your thick head, you imbecile. She is MY wife. We ARE BONDED!" She would never lower herself to be with the likes of you."

"What is going on here?" Everyone turned to see several uniformed police officers standing in the yard. Apparently, one of the neighbors had called 9-1-1. The leader of the group saw Harry and shook his head. "Let me guess, Detective Potter, that this is the situation that we were briefed on last month?" When Harry nodded, the officer turned to his men. "Okay, we do this one by the books. Magi, hit the entire property with Notice-me-nots, and a few Muffliatos for good measure. By the way, Mr. Snape, thanks for teaching us that one." Russ nodded his acknowledgement as the officers surrounded the group.

"Hey guys, the two blonds right there can stay." Harry called out. Russ then cleared his throat.

"But could you please escort the rest of them off of my land?"

"We have extradition papers," Umbridge shouted, brandishing a parchment. Elliot Parker stepped forward and took the papers and started looking them over.

"These papers were signed last week?" Unbridge nodded vigorously. "So, you are saying that something recently occurred that Harry Potter and Mia Snape were involved in, and that they have to return to the UK to clear it up?"

"That's correct, sir." John Dawlish looked at Elliott, a greedy expression in his eyes.

"Harry, Mia, I know that neither of you have unofficial time-turners or portkeys, so riddle me this. How can you both be in England at the same time that the three of us and Sergeants Hughes and Rodriguez over there were investigating a double homicide in Southwest San Antonio?" Elliott shook his head and turned back to Umbridge. "Harry and I have been partners for about five years now, the three of us, Mia, him and I, all graduated the Academy together. I know perfectly well that the only portkey that has been in his possession was the one he sent to the grandmother of his godson so that they could both attend his and Mia's bonding ceremonies with Lena and Russ. Harold Potter and Hermione Snape are both naturalized American citizens, madam, and have been for years."


End file.
